Improvement in tool-handles



E. STEELE. Tool-Handle.

No. 207,731. .Patented Sept. 3, 1378.

UNITED STATES PATENT .EEIoE.

DAVID STEELE, OF NEW BRITAIN, ASSIGNOR TO SARGENT & CO., OF NEW HAVEN,CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOOL-HANDLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 207,7@E dated September3, 1878; application filed March 20, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID STEELE, of New Britain, in the county ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new ImprovementinMethod of Securing Handles to Tanged Implements; and I do hereby declarethe following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsand the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, andexact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute partof this specification, and represent, lll

Figure 1, avertieal central section; Figs. 2 and 3, detached views.

This invention relates to an improvement in the method of securingimplements to handles, such as screw-drivers, ehisels, knives, forks,85o.

In the usual construction of the class of implements to which thisinvention is applicable a simple tapering tang is formed on the handleend of the blade and driven into the handle, and, as is well known,these handles frequently become loosened to such an extent that it isdifficult to retain the implement in the handle, and auxiliary devicesare resorted to to reseeure them.

The object of this invention is to overcome this difl'iculty; and itconsists in constructing the tang so that in driving it into the handleits point will be turned outward into the grain of the wood and expand,as it were, the tang in the handle, making the separation from thehandle impossible.

In illustration, the invention is shown as applied to a screw-driver,which is suflieient for illustration of its application to otherimplements. A is the blade, of the usual form, and constructed with aflat tang, B. The tip of the tang is divided, so as to give an inclineupon the inside to each of the divisions. The tang is inserted into thehandle 0 in the usual manner, and the two divisions a b of the tang,striking the solid wood at the bottom ot the cavity formed to receivethe tang, Wlll be turned to the right and left, in consequence ot thesaid incline, thus expanding the inner end of the tang and making aconnection between the tang and wood, so that it cannot be withdrawntherefrom.

It will be understood that the hole in the handle must be bored to aless depth than the length of the tang, in order that the end ot thetang may meet an obstruction, to turn it to one side, as beforedescribed.

Instead of dividing the tang, it may be inclined upon one side, as seenin Fig. 3, and by that incline the point will be turned into the wood,as before described.

I do not claim, broadly, the shaping the end of an article to be driveninto wood, so that it' may turn out of its straight or entering line, assuch, I am aware, is not new 5 but 1 am not aware of a tanged implementhaving been before made so that by the peculiar shape of the tang itwould be bent out of its course by being driven into the handle.

I claim In implements provided with tan gs by which to attach woodhandles to said implements, the tang constructed with an inclined edge,the handle bored to a less depth than the length of the tang, forming anobstruction, whereby the tip of the tang will be turned out of line withthe wood of the handle, substantially as described.

' DAVI D STEELE. lVitncsses:

J. H. SIIUMWAY, II. A. Krrson.

